Age fitness

[youngdickie]

Am 75 year oldDiabeticInAbove average conditionNot incredibly fitBut able to walk many miles cycle etc.How would this program affected jointsBack etcWould love to do it

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5... and mentions an 83 year old graduate.

Follow the advice on pace and minimising impact and it is all totally possible.

Enjoy your journey.

[youngdickie in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you, thats great. I will take a read.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Running does impact the joints... but not necessarily in a negative way. Impacts make the joints strengthen just like weight training strengthens the muscles. Running full speed on a hard surface with poor shoes and form will have a negative effect on any weaknesses in the joints. Doing the opposite of that will make the joints stronger. Following the Strength and Flex programme which also has a forum here healthunlocked.com/strength... will help a lot... find a soft surface (treadmill, grass, running track, trail) and keep the feet landing flat and under the body, get good shoes, after gait analysis in a specialist running store and don’t run faster than conversational pace and you should be fine.

People with arthritic conditions are also better hitting the trail as then each foot landing is different so not stressing the same joints in the same way.

Running gets a bad reputation for knee damage, which is undeserved... yes runners sometimes need knee replacement, but in average it’s 18 years later in life.

There’s a programme which I believe is still available on iPlayer... “the truth about...”. The getting fit episode reveals some interesting discoveries... including walking being more impactful on the legs.

[youngdickie in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thanks for your thoughts. Very interesting

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Read the link from IannodaTruffe ..lots of great advice there

If you have no major health issues... this plan will benefit you.. in many, many ways...Your diabetes is under control.. your GP has given you the go ahead...? So... welcome!

Slow and steady and keep posting...I am 69 next month and touch wood, everything is still in great working order

[youngdickie in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you!

[Etrain Graduate]

Hey Dickie, while I’m no expert I can share my experience. I’ve never run before c25k and I’m a good 30 lb over weight. I always thought I couldn’t run but tried this & found a slow jog got my heart rate in my target zone quickly & kept it there. I didn’t have the same knee & hip issues as I do speed walking. So for me at 55 yrs, for 3 months it’s been an amazing journey, jogging every other day. Hope your doc recommends it!

[youngdickie in reply to Etrain]

Thank you!

[Runner_and_rider Graduate]

You sound just like me. I am 73 but have always been an outdoors active sort of person. I started C25k for the first time last autumn but made the classic mistakes of running in the wrong shoes (my clumpy walking shoes) and trying to go too fast. I ended up injuring a ligament in my knee (agonising pain) and had to rest it for 6 weeks. I re-started in January this year and graduated last week with not even a twinge during the 9 weeks. The shoes, purchased at a running specialist shop with gait analysis cost £115 but I bought plain black ones so I could wear them to Tesco if the running cane to naught. Oh, and don’t think you have to overtake all those dog walkers etc in front of you, slowly is the way to keep uninjured. Enjoy - I did.

[youngdickie in reply to Runner_and_rider]

Thank you very much Runner_and_rider. Much appreciated. I will look at my shoes now.

[Joemink]

If you follow the program you should be alright. Give it a go, and stick with it. People of all ages and conditions manage and enjoy parkrun every week.

[youngdickie in reply to Joemink]

Great, thanks